Intermec EasyCoder PF4i Install Manual

Brand: Intermec

Model: EasyCoder PF4i

Type: Install Manual

This manual is also suitable for

Installation

Instructions

Thermal

Printhead

(for EasyCoder PF2i,

PF4i, PF4i Compact

Industrial, and PM4i)

Intermec Printer AB

Idrottsvägen 10

P.O. Box 123

S-431 22 Mölndal

Sweden

Service support: +46 31 869500

The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely

for the purpose of allowing customers to operate and/or service Intermec

manufactured equipment and is not to be released, reproduced, or used

for any other purpose without written permission of Intermec.

Information and speciﬁ cations in this manual are subject to change

without notice.

EasyCoder and Fingerprint are registered trademarks of Intermec Tech-

nologies Corp. The word Intermec and the Intermec logo are trademarks

of Intermec Technologies Corp.

Throughout this manual, trademarked names may be used. Rather than

put a trademark (™) symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name,

we state that we are using the names only in an editorial fashion, and to

the beneﬁ t of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement.

Printhead Installation Instructions 1

EasyCoder PF2i, PF4i, PF4i Compact Industrial, and PM4i

Introduction

This Installation Instructions booklet describes how to install a replace-

ment printhead in an EasyCoder PF2i, PF4i, PF4i Compact Industrial,

or PM4i printer. The illustrations shows installation in an EasyCoder

PF4i printer, but the same principles apply to all printers mentioned

above, even if the width of the printhead or the appearance of the print

mechanism differ to some extent.

If the printer is ﬁ tted with an optional printhead spring (EasyCoder PF4i

only), the spring must be removed to allow the printhead to be pulled

out and reﬁ tted after the replacement printhead has been installed.

When installing a printhead, make sure that the printhead

density and alignment is the same as in the one you replace

and that the printhead is designed for the type of printer

in which you are going to install it. Printheads designed

for EasyCoder F2, F4, or F4 Compact Industrial do NOT

work!

Why does the printhead wear out?

When the media is fed past the printhead, small resistor elements (dots)

on the printhead are electrically charged and thereby heated. The heat

from the dots is transferred to the direct thermal paper or the thermal

transfer ribbon so as to form the dot pattern which makes up the text,

images, or bar codes.

Printhead wear-out is an inevitable process which applies to all thermal

printers regardless of brand. During printing, the dots must be heated

and cooled off very rapidly, which in combination with mechanical

abrasion sooner or later will wear out the printhead, making the printout

gradually weaker. Some dots may even cease to produce any imprint.

Simple Precautions

Some simple measures can be taken by the user to prevent premature

wear-out:

• Clean the printhead regularly, as described in the User’s Guide. Not

only will a dirty printhead produce an inferior printout, but any resi-

due on the dots will prevent heat to dissipate through the media.

2 Printhead Installation Instructions

EasyCoder PF2i, PF4i, PF4i Compact Industrial, and PM4i

• Follow the recommendations regarding Paper Type or Media Sensitiv-

ity setup in the User’s Guide. Too much energy to the printhead will

wear it out rapidly.

• Do not use higher Print Speed setting than necessary.

• Low ambient temperature requires more energy to the printhead dots

than room temperatures and will therefore cause more wear to the

printhead. High print speed accelerates the wear. Thus, at low tem-

peratures, select as low a print speed as acceptable.

• Do not use a higher Contrast setting than necessary.

• Do not use a higher printhead pressure than necessary.

• Never print outside the media path. Dots that are not in contact with

the media will not be cooled properly.

• When using media with less than full width, be careful to adjust the

printhead lift arm so there is an even pressure across the media. Not

only will an uneven pressure impair the printout quality, but it may

also prevent the dots from being properly cooled. Moreover, a sharp

outer media edge in direct contact with the printhead may cause

excessive mechanical wear on some dots, which may be visible when

printing on wider media later.

• When using preprinted labels or labels with some type of varnish or

non-standard top coating for direct thermal printing, use original

Intermec labels or inks recommended by leading manufacturers of

direct thermal media. The labels must not contain any aggressive

substances such as chloride or grinding substances such as titanium

dioxide.

• Only use original Intermec transfer ribbons or ribbons recommended

by Intermec.

Always switch off the power while replacing the printhead.

The printer must be restarted before it automatically resets

itself for the characteristics of the new printhead.

Printhead Installation Instructions 3

EasyCoder PF2i, PF4i, PF4i Compact Industrial, and PM4i

Installation Instructions

(For illustrated instructions, refer to the printer’s User’s Guide).

1 Switch off the power to the printer.

2 Open the side door (and the front door, if any).

3 Turn the printhead lift lever clockwise to raise the printhead.

4 Remove any remaining media and transfer ribbon.

5 Hold the pressure arm and press down the printhead bracket so it

comes free from the magnet in the pressure arm.

6 Disconnect the printhead bracket by twisting it out of the print

mechanism and pull it out as far as the cables allow.

7 Disconnect the cables from the printhead. Note the snap-lock on the

inner connector. Pull at the connectors—not at the cables.

8 Check that the label on the new printhead corresponds to the label

on the old one and connect the two cables to the replacement print-

head.

9 Fit the printhead so the “ﬁ ngers” engage the headlift shaft. Check

that the cables run freely.

10 Turn the printhead lift lever counterclockwise so the magnet engages

the printhead bracket.

11 Switch on the power, so the printer can reset itself to the characteris-

tics of the new printhead.

12 Load a new supply of media and ribbon as described in the printer’s

User’s Guide.

4 Printhead Installation Instructions

EasyCoder PF2i, PF4i, PF4i Compact Industrial, and PM4i

Intermec Printer AB

Idrottsvägen 10, P.O. Box 123

S-431 22 Mölndal, Sweden

tel +46 31 869500

fax +46 31 869595

www.intermec.com

*1-960605-00*

EasyCoder PF2/4i & PM4i Printhead Installation Instructions

*1-960605-00*

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i Install Manual

Brand: Intermec

Model: EasyCoder PF4i

Type: Install Manual

This manual is also suitable for

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Intermec EasyCoder PF4i Install Manual

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Intermec EasyCoder PF4i Install Manual

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